Athenian 4-piece Rapture have been throwing riffs since 2012 and with two full length albums, two EP’s and a split with Toxic Carnage under their belts, the thrash-death outfit are back with album #3: Malevolent Demise Incarnation. With a sound which can best be described as Kreator meets Carnivore, Evile, early Sepultura and Demolition Hammer. It’s an onslaught of hard-hitting riffs, punishing grooves and vocal/lyrical savagery. With that said, let’s just get right into it shall we?

The titular track, “Malevolent Demise Incarnation” gets the record rolling and if there is one thing you take home from this release is that speed is the name of the game here. Tight rhythmic precision and with rapidfire drums, thundering basslines and riffs which are packed together so tightly they form a looming wall of aggression which serves as a very solid backdrop for the track which for the most part is a well put together hybrid of thrashy groove and snarling death metal aggression. Aside from an odd atmospheric transition section that features some synth augmentation which seems out of place, this is a decent opening salvo and one which sets the standard for the rest of the album.

From here on, it’s basically just a current of thrash metal, occasionally jolted by elements of death metal and/or groove metal. “Inanimate Frigidity” has some tight drum-work which packs plenty of blasts and relentless hammering which leads to a rather fierce and relentless natured track. This lends itself to some seriously intense riffs and vocal snarling and you get the feeling that maybe this would have been a better opening track choice. Another track of note is “I am become Death” which has a groove to it which for some reason made me think of one of the best thrash songs ever, ‘Post Mortem’ by Slayer. I cannot put my finger on why exactly, but something about the rhythmic hook just drawn me to that association… That being said, the track itself does have a fairly controlled feel to its delivery, speeding up and slowing down exactly when it seems logical/natural to which sustains the groove driven element at the core of it and on the whole, it works rather well!

“Herald Of Defiance”, the penultimate track sparks the feel of Carnivore with its turbulent nature, pseudo-death metal blasts and constantly shifting feel whilst going back a few tracks, “After Your Eternity” is where the Sepultura, Evile and Kreator like sounds can strongly be heard and felt; a cacophony of tight riffs, solid rhythmic shifts and some wild leads which have a piercing quality to them. “Requiem For A Woeful Dynasty” is the closing track of the release, and clocking in at around the 8-minute mark, it is a fitting end. It builds up slowly with its atmospheric and lingering start which gradually shifts to slow chugs which leads into a rapid-fire blitz of riffs and leads. A solid blend of thrash and death metal elements, it is consistent from start to finish, peaking round the 5–6-minute mark before it renews itself for a final, sustained assault to wrap it up. At points it is a little bereft of ideas to make sections stand out, but overall, it is a fine example of consistency.

Overall, “Malevolent Demise Incarnation” is a decent enough release. It has a solid rhythmic foundation which is tightly controlled and its aggressive vocal delivery is fairly consistent throughout the release, but it is ultimately the lack of wild and unscripted moments which seem to cost this album. It lacks those moments which feel like a wave of inspiration hit the band and they just said ‘Fuck it!’ and let loose. It lacks that explosive spark which leads to excessive self-indulgent shred sections and sometimes, that is what makes a decent thrash release into a good thrash release.

(6.5/10 Fraggle)

https://www.facebook.com/ThrashRapture

https://fda-records.bandcamp.com/album/malevolent-demise-incarnation